Barrel venting plug



Sept. 7, 1937.

T. A. NEWMAN BARREL V'ENTING PLUG Filed Sept. 1, 1954 INVENTOR.

7770/7706 A. Newman ATTORNEY Patented Sept. 7, 1937- BARREL VENTING PLUGThomas A. Newman, East San Diego, Calif., as-

signor of one-half to Paul C. Tews, La Mesa,

Calif.

Application September 1, 1934, Serial No. 742,410

2 Claims.

My invention relates to a plug for venting barrels such as wine,whiskey, cider and the like barrels, and the objects of my inventionare:

First, to provide a barrel plug of this class with 5 means which maybequickly turned by the hand for venting the barrel Second, to provide adevice of this class which is so shaped that it will take up the wearand therefore last indefinitely in the wooden plug;

Third, to provide a plug of this class which is made in two parts onepart of which is wedged into the bung hole or opening of the barrel andthe other is screwed into the portion which is wedged therein so thatthe portions may be readily removed for placing a funnel for filling thebarrel or for measuring the quantity content of the barrel;

Fourth, to provide a plug of this class in which it can be readilydetermined when the vent i open or closed;

Fifth, to provide a plug of this class which is applicable for variouskinds, classes and sizes of barrels as desired;

Sixth, to provide a plug of this class which may be made of wood so thatit is applicable for wines and other liquors in which metal should notcontact the fluid content of the barrel; and

Seventh, to provide a venting plug of this class which is very simpleand economical of construction, easy to operate, efficient in itsaction, and which will not readily deteriorate or get out of order;

With these and other objects in view as will appear hereinafter, myinvention consists of certain novel features of construction,combination and arrangement of parts and portions as will be hereinafterdescribed in detail and particularly set forth in the appended claims,reference being had to the accompanying drawing and to the 4 charactersof reference thereon which form a part of this application, in which:

Figure 1 is a sectional view of my venting plug shown through I-I ofFig. 2, showing some of the portions in elevation to facilitate theillustration and showing by dotted lines the portion of the barrel inwhich the plug is mounted; Fig. 2 is a top end view of my plug complete;Fig. 3 is a bottom end view of my plug complete; Fig. 4 is anelevational view showing the open end of the 50 venting valve, and Fig.5 is a partial elevational and partial sectional view of the plug andvalve.

Similar characters of reference refer to similar parts and portionsthroughout the several views of the drawing.

The plug members I and 2, vent valve 3, vent valve handle 4, constitutethe principal parts and portions of my barrel venting plug.

The plug members I and 2 are preferably made of hard wood, preferablyoak, and when together as shown in Fig. 1 of the drawing form a tapered5 portion which is adapted to fit into the bung hole or other opening ofthe barrel, shown by B in dotted lines in Fig. 1 of the'drawing. It isprovided. near its upper end with a tapered portion 2a. The member I itwill be noted is the portion wedged into the barrel B and is tapered soas to form a driven secured fit. This member l.is provided internallywith threads la which are adapted to receive threads 219 on the reducedportion 20 of the member 2 so that the member 2 screws into the member Iand may be readily removed by turning the same for inserting a funnelfor filling the barrel or by inserting a measuring member of some kindfor measuring the quantity content of the barrel.

It will be noted that the member I is provided with an upper faceportion lb which engages the lower face portion 2d of the member 2, allas shown best in Fig. 1 of the drawing.

The plug member 2 is provided with venting orifices 2e and 2 and is alsoprovided with a tapered orifice transversely therewith 2g. This taperedorifice 2g is adapted to receive the tapered valve portion 3 which ispreferably made of bronze and adapted to fit tightly in the orifice 2gand provided with a conforming taper with said It will be here notedthat the tapering of this orifice provides means for taking up the wearso that the member 3 may be further inserted as the orifices 2e wear.This tapered portion 3 is provided with a longitudinally extendingorifice 3a which extends inwardly past the orifices 2e and 2] in theplug member 2. There is provided in the member 3 on opposite sideselongated openlugs 31) and 3c which are shaped as shown best in Fig. 5of the drawing, thus providing intercommunicating ways between themembers 2e, 2; and 3m when the valve member is turned so that the handleis in vertical position as shown best in Fig. 1 of the drawing, butcloses the communication upon turning the handle to right anglestherewith, as shown best in Fig. 5 of the drawing. It will be here notedthat the barrel is I vented when the valve is open, as shown in Fig. lof the drawing, either from the top portion through the orifice 2e orthrough the valve orifice 3a., or both.

The handle for the valve 3, designated 4, is i preferably flat andelongated so that the position 55 of the valve 3 in the plug member 2can readily be determined. It is obvious, however, that the orifice 2emay be omitted from the plug member 2 or the orifice 3a may be omittedfrom the valve 3 without destroying the venting effect of the plugmember.

Though I have shown and described a particular construction, combinationand arrangement of parts and portions, I do not wish to be limited tothis particular construction, combination and arrangemenhbut desire toinclude in the scope of my invention the construction, combination andarrangement substantially as set forth in the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desiretosecure by Letters Patent is:

1. In a barrel venting plug, a tapered wood plug member arranged andconstructed to 'wedge tightly into a conventional barrel bung hole andextend inwardly and outwardly therefrom provided with an internalthread, another wooden plug member provided with a reduced shank portionwith external threads adapted to screw tightly into said internalthreads and provided with extended shoulders adapted to fit against theouter side of said first mentioned plug member and provided with aconforming taper extending outwardly therefrom and also provided with atransverse tapered opening therethrough at right angles to the axis ofsaid plug, and also provided with an orifice extending from said taperedopening centrally in said plug member to the inner end thereof, atapered metallic valve member provided with an orifice communicatingwith said orifice in said plug when the valve is turned in one directionand provided with a longitudinal opening centrally therein from one endof said valve member to said communicating orifice, and a handle on theopposite end of said valve member.

2. In a barrel venting plug, a tapered wood plug member arranged andconstructed to fit at its one end tightly into a conventional barrelbung hole and extend outwardly therefrom some distance in tapered formand provided with a transverse tapered opening therethrough at rightangles to the axis of said plug, and also provided with an orificeextending from said tapered opening centrally in said plug member to theinner end thereof; a tapered metallic valve member provided with anorifice communicating with said orifice in said plug when the valve isturned in one direction and provided with a longitudinal openingcentrally therein from one end of said valve member to saidcommunicating orifice, and a handle on the opposite end of said Valvemember.

THOMAS A. NEWMAN.

